The upcoming season will be a special one for Kevin Durant. The charismatic Houston Rockets scorer is entering his 20th season on NBA courts, making history. He aims to make this season his best yet, in a season where competition will be particularly fierce, especially in the—always—competitive Western Conference.
The “Rockets” will once again have Fred VanVleet on their roster, while they’ve added Marcus Smart, acquiring one of the league’s most reliable defenders. All of this with Durant remaining the cornerstone of the team’s efforts, thanks to his scoring ability.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka during the Texas team’s Media Day for the upcoming season, emphasized that the goal is to reduce KD’s minutes this season so that he remains “fresh” during critical moments of games.
This view was conveyed to Durant, with the aim of clarifying his intentions ahead of the new season. However, he did not take this view particularly well.
“Why?” was KD’s initial question, before he went on to explain his reasoning.
“I’m the best player on the court. The team is better when I’m on the court. That’s what I train to do—to play a significant portion of the game. To play 48 minutes every night. If the team needs me in the game, I want to be there,” was Durant’s disarming response; he didn’t seem particularly… eager to see his minutes cut back in the coming season.
*photo source: AP
